續傳燈錄 17.16

17.16

江州圓通真際德止禪師。金紫徐閎中之季子也。世居歷陽。師雙瞳紺碧神光射人。十歲未知書多喜睡。其父目為懵然子。暨成童強記過人。學文有奇語。弱冠夢異僧授四句偈。已而有以南安巖主像遺之者。即傍所載聰明偈。自是持念不忘。後五年隨金紫將漕西洛。一夕忽大悟連作數偈。一曰。不因言句不因人。不因物色不因聲。夜半吹燈方就枕。忽然這裏已天明。每嘯歌自若。眾莫測之。乃力求出家。父弗許欲以官授之。師曰。某方將脫世網不著三界。豈復刺頭於利名中邪。請移授從兄珏。遂祝髮受具。未數歲名振京師。宣和三年春徽宗皇帝賜號真際。俾居圓通。上堂。山僧二十年前兩目皆盲了無所覩。唯是聞人說道。青天之上有大日輪。照三千大千世界。無有不遍之處。籌策萬端終不能見。二十年後眼光漸開。又值天色連陰濃雲亂湧。四方觀察上下推窮。見雲行時便於行處作計較。見雲住時便於住處立箇窠臼。正如是間忽遇著箇多知漢。問道。莫是要見日輪麼。何不向高山頂上去。山僧却徵他道。那裏是高山頂上。他道。紅塵不到處。是諸仁者好箇端的消息。還會麼。長連床上佛陀耶。上堂。昨夜黃面瞿曇將三千大千世界來一口吞盡。如人飲湯水蹤跡不留應時消散。當爾時諸大菩薩聲聞羅漢及與一切眾生。盡皆不覺不知。唯有文殊普賢瞥然覷見。雖然得見渺渺茫茫。恰似向大洋海裏頭出頭沒。諸人且道。是什麼消息。若也檢點得破。許他頂門上具一隻眼。示寂闍維煙氣所及悉成設利。塔司空山分窆疊石原。

Chan Master Zhenji Dezhi of Yuantong in Jiangzhou was the youngest son of Xu Hongzhong, [an official awarded the] Purple and Gold [Ribbon]. For generations his family had resided in Liyang. The master's pupils were deep blue, and their spiritual glow struck people. At the age of ten, he did not yet know how to read and loved to sleep often; his father considered him an obtuse child. Upon reaching boyhood, his powerful memory surpassed ordinary people, and when learning literature he produced extraordinary expressions. At the age of twenty, he dreamed of an unusual monk who transmitted to him a four-line verse. Soon after, someone presented him with a portrait of the Master of Nan'an Cliff, beside which was recorded the Verse on Intelligence. From then on he held and recited it without forgetting. Five years later, following the official with the Purple and Gold Ribbon, he served as a transport official in Xiluo. One night he suddenly experienced great awakening and composed several verses in succession. One went: 'Not because of words or phrases, not because of another person; / Not because of forms or appearances, not because of sounds. / At midnight blowing out the lamp, just lying on the pillow, / Suddenly here it is already daybreak.' He always whistled and sang at ease, beyond the comprehension of the crowd. He then earnestly sought to leave home. His father would not permit it and wished to confer an official post upon him. The master said, 'I am about to cast off the worldly net and not cling to the three realms. How could I plunge my head back into profit and fame? Please transfer the post to my cousin Jue.' He then shaved his head and took full ordination. In not many years his name shook the capital. In the spring of the third year of Xuanhe, Emperor Huizong bestowed upon him the title Zhenji and appointed him to reside at Yuantong. He ascended the hall and said, 'Twenty years ago, this mountain monk's eyes were completely blind, seeing nothing at all. I only heard people say: "Above the blue sky is a great sun disk, shining upon the great trichiliocosm with nowhere it does not pervade." I devised myriad schemes, yet in the end could not see it. Twenty years later, my eyesight gradually opened up; but then it met with overcast weather and thick clouds surging in chaos. Observing in the four directions and investigating up and down, when I saw clouds moving I formed calculations where they moved, and when I saw clouds halting I set up a nest where they halted. Just at such a moment, I suddenly met a knowledgeable fellow who asked, "Do you want to see the sun disk? Why not go to the top of the high mountain?" This mountain monk questioned him in return, "Where is the top of the high mountain?" He said, "Where the red dust does not reach." This, worthy people, is fine news! Do you understand? The buddha upon the long joint-benches!' He ascended the hall and said, 'Last night the yellow-faced Gautama swallowed the entire great trichiliocosm in one mouthful. Like someone drinking hot soup, no trace remained, instantly dissolving away. At that very time, the great bodhisattvas, śrāvakas, arhats, and all sentient beings were completely unaware and uncomprehending. Only Mañjuśrī and Samantabhadra caught a glimpse of it. Yet though they managed to see it, it was vast and indistinct, just like bobbing up and down in the great ocean. Tell me, everyone: what news is this? If you can inspect and penetrate it, I grant that you possess an eye atop your crown.' When he showed nirvāṇa, wherever the smoke of the cremation reached, it turned entirely into śarīra. A stupa was erected at Mount Sikong, and his relics were interred at the Dieshi Plain.